Other News - 09/18/2009

United Airlines Chairman and CEO Glenn Tilton visited with the chairman of China Eastern Airlines this month to try to persuade the Shanghai-based carrier to join Star Alliance. CEA, which is unaligned, is acquiring current Star partner Shanghai Airlines (ATWOnline, Aug. 31). "As the financial capital of China, Shanghai is an important destination for us," Tilton explained in an employee communication. "Asia is forecasted to be on the front end of the coming economic recovery, and we want to ...

The US majors will not give up on their campaign against the Gulf carriers, which present the biggest-ever threat to the future of US airlines, the CEO of United Airlines said in a speech in New York Thursday....More

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) president Tim Canoll said the wider public has to be educated about the threat laser pointers pose to aircraft and help law enforcement catch people shining lasers into cockpits....More

US airlines, particularly regional carriers, have expressed hope that strict pilot training requirements implemented by FAA in 2013 will be eased in FAA reauthorization legislation expected to be taken up by Congress later this year, but there will likely be a strong push back against any efforts to change the rules....More